Passion of the Wolf

Chapter 1

The sun was already warm and it was only 10:00 am in the mountains of Tennessee. The sky was a crisp blue with only a few wisps of clouds floating by. The sound of hammering and the buzz of saws filled the air as the volunteers worked building the house with Habitat for Humanity. Kate wiped the moisture from her brow, idly looking around. People of all ages were working today. She waved at Louise and Alfred, an older couple that had recently received their own home from Habitat. Their gratitude was evident as they signed up to help with as many houses as possible. Kate worked with a Helping Hands organization whose members contributed to various service projects throughout the city.

Lost in her thoughts, she stood quietly-a slim, lithe figure of 5'10", long chestnut hair that was currently braided, and sparkling green eyes in a very pleasing face. If she was asked, she would tell you she was only average. A more discerning eye could see a beauty that was more than outward features. She had a gentle spirit that beamed from her countenance. One man in the group definitely noticed her attributes.

"Heads up, Cat" a deep voice said behind her.

Startled, she turned to see her friend, Adrian, carrying 2 x 4 boards on his shoulder. "Hey!" she smiled. "I didn't know you were working today."

"Well, I knew you were working today so I figured, why not?" His bright, white grin lit up his whole face. He was so gorgeous.

"You know just what to say to turn a girl's head." she teased.

"I do try, Cat," he spoke softly, tugging on her braid. Her breath caught. Whistling, he continued on his way.

Watching him stride off, she could only admire his beauty. He was tall, dark and sexy with medium length dark hair that was thick and full with enough waves to look gloriously messy. His thin beard added to his sexiness. His eyes were blue or gray depending on when you looked and his olive-toned skin only grew darker in the sun. He had the face of an Italian angel and combined with a lean 6'3" physique that was not overly muscular, he was built to cause trouble. He was the Alpha male personified, with the walk that oozed confidence, yet he was not arrogant or mean-spirited. During the time she had known him, he had shown himself to be very caring and humble and she enjoyed their friendship. These days, however, she was beginning to notice him more as a man than as a friend and she was not sure how she felt about that yet.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw one of the workers waving at her. Turning she saw it was a man that had recently started on this project. His name was Jerry something and he was doing this for college credits. He was extremely annoying as he always made a point to find Kate and try to talk to her. She sighed and waved before moving away from him. It was beginning to get tiresome trying to avoid him while trying to work.

Unknown to her Adrian had witnessed the entire exchange. His face hardened as he gazed at the young man. Although he knew the guy was harmless, he did not like that the guy was constantly pestering Kate.

The sun had begun to set when they called it a day. Kate was at Adrian's truck helping him load up tools when Jerry approached her.

"Hey, do you want to get a bite to eat or something?" He asked her.

Kate groaned to herself as she knew he had been working up to this. "Thanks, Jerry, but I have other plans." She tried to walk away but he moved closer.

"Do you think you'd be free later?" His face was a little too eager. "My schedule is open, so you say when and I'll be there."

Kate avoided looking at Adrian as she could sense his irritation. "Us going out is not a good idea, so let's just keep it as friends, okay?" Her voice pleaded for him to let it go as she did not want to hurt his feelings.